Slo-Mo Rewatch: Guardian episode 13, part 1

[china_shop]

Hi, and welcome back to the Guardian drama Slo-Mo Rewatch. Watch half an episode a week, at your leisure, and then come and chat about it here in comments. Or you can just jump into the comments without rewatching, of course!

Here are the previous weeks' rewatch posts.

Episode 13, up to 21:44

Summary
Zhao Yunlan & co. break Da Qing out of his frenzy with the help of Lao Li's dried fish. Looking for Tan Xiao, Zheng Yi causes mayhem at the wedding, and Shen Wei arrives and stops it. Zhao Yunlan arrives and intervenes before Minister Gao can blame Shen Wei for any of it, but in fact, Minister Gao is grateful. Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei go head-to-head about Shen Wei's secrets again, neither able to concede. They're called out to the street, where Da Qing and Lin Jing are trying to calm a frenzied Cong Bo. From him, they learn Zhu Jiu and the Crow Yashou have a boss. Zhao Yunlan hints again that he wants to work with Shen Wei, but Shen Wei leaves. Human-form Ya Qing and Zhu Jiu fight in front of Zheng Yi, who just wants her Tan Xiao. Chu Shuzhi stomps through the Snake forest and rescues Guo Changcheng. Tan Xiao has a nightmare and wakes up in the lab, where Zhao Yunlan finds him.



Quote
Shen Wei: Did I bring you trouble?
Zhao Yunlan: If you are the trouble, I'll take it by the dozen to bother my whole life.

Detail
Ya Qing delivers a message from Ye Zun to Zhu Jiu. Does that mean she's travelled to Dixing as their go-between?

Questions
Dried fish brings Da Qing back to his senses: what would work for some of the other characters? During Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei's standoff in the parlour, who do you sympathise with the most? Is Zhao Yunlan demanding answers in his capacity as chief of the SID or on the basis of their personal relationship? Is it okay for the SID to go around sedating members of the public without first checking their medical histories? What is Zhao Yunlan thinking as he watches Shen Wei leave the alley? (He looks so serious!)

Did you see any parallels in these scenes with other parts of the drama? If you're familiar with the novel, any thoughts about how the drama adaptation compares, if at all?

(As usual, these are all just conversation starters - feel free to answer all, some, or none, and to say as much or as little as you like! You don't have to be keeping up with the rewatch to join in. We'd love to hear your thoughts!)

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Comments

[trobadora]

But he has such issues with authority (and in this case, the "authority" officially includes his terrible father) that I suspect he couldn't really do his job if he framed it that way, you know? And he believes wholeheartedly in the job, even as that wholehearted belief changes with new information/understanding.

Yeah, all very true!

I still don't feel the fact that it turned out to be unnecessary makes any difference to him at this point: SW is the strategic one; ZYL is the "gulp down maybe-poison to save a stranger and never worry about consequences, before or after" one.

Yeah, agree to disagree - I definitely think it makes a difference to him that he tried to protect someone who didn't need protection, and revealed his sincere feelings that way. Risking his life is a lot less exposing. *g*

Yes, okay, I'm fine with thematically meaningful dreams. Just so long as it doesn't have to make any literal sense. ;-p

LOL! Can't argue with you there. *g*

[china_shop]

and revealed his sincere feelings that way. Risking his life is a lot less exposing. *g*

Oh, do you think he's trying to keep his feelings hidden at this point? He keeps going out of his way to show Shen Wei that they're on the same side...

[trobadora]

He's still in that phase when he has to wrap things up in a joke or a tease, or turn it into an accusation - he still gets uncomfortable when things get a bit too genuine.

[china_shop]

I was going to talk about this on the next post, but since it's come up here: I think that's changing, at least when it comes to Shen Wei. He was open about his frustration in Shen Wei's office, he's sincere when he says, "If you were the trouble...", and in the lab, later this episode, he says, "Shen Wei, I thought we were friends," in a serious, significant way. It's not a linear change; there's still silliness and backsliding and his general teasing nature that never goes away, and with flirting, he hasn't quite figured out where the line is that works for Shen Wei. But I don't think he's shying away from expressing his feelings to Shen Wei, as much as Shen Wei will let him. (And I don't think he cares what Minister Gao makes of it.)

Obviously YMMV, though! :-)

[trobadora]

Yeah, YMMV - to me, when he's being genuine with Shen Wei in those places, the underlying frustration acts as a cover and a bit of insulation for him, so he can say it, but he absolutely still needs that insulation.

I do agree that it's changing and he'll obviously get there, but you read him as further along than I do.

[china_shop]

Oh, that's a great point -- I hadn't thought about that, and I can totally see it. He's too driven to play games there. It's a glimpse of who he'll become, but the driving force is different. (Though I feel like that's less true in the lab. But we can talk about that in the next post.)

And with Minister Gao at the wedding, the worry for Shen Wei insulates him in a similar way, I think? But (to go back to our original point, with him stewing on the couch) I still don't think he particularly reflects on whether or not it was necessary, especially with everything else that's going on. Because he's both strategising about the case and back in that frustration of Shen Wei withholding case-critical and personal-critical secrets. Idk.

[trobadora]

Oh, that's a great point -- I hadn't thought about that, and I can totally see it.

Yay! :D

But we can talk about that in the next post.

Yes! Let's talk about that here. :)

And with Minister Gao at the wedding, the worry for Shen Wei insulates him in a similar way, I think?

Yes! And I do think that when that worry-as-insulation falls away and he realises he didn't need to be worried about Shen Wei here, he does end up uncomfortable about it. But, as we already said, YMMV. *g*

(So glad we're back to discussin Guardian! I really needed the rewatch break, but also it's good to be back. :D)